Check your voter info like clockwork

March 8, 2013

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted wants adults to add another chore to their to-do list this weekend.

In addition to turning clocks ahead one hour with the switch to daylight saving time Sunday and checking batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, Husted suggests Ohioans check their voter registrations.

Of course, detector batteries can be checked and replaced anytime, and so can a person's voter registration record.

The latter task can be completed online at Husted's one-stop voter information website, www.MyOhioVote.com. It only takes a minute or two, even with a mobile device.

Mobility is a key reason the secretary of state wants people to check their registration. Unlike smoke and CO alarms, voter registration records don't alert you when they become dated.

A release from Husted's office states the most common reason Ohio voters are required to cast a provisional ballot rather than a regular ballot is because they have moved and not updated their address for voting purposes.

"By ensuring their information at the board of elections is up to date now," Husted stated, "voters can request an absentee ballot to vote by mail or go to the polls throughout the year without any hassle."

Too bad we can't avoid the hassle of remembering how to reset digital clocks twice a year.